Glossary of Screenwriting Terms

A B C D E F I J L M O P R S T V W Z

Action
The scene description, character movement, and sounds as described in a screenplay.

For example:

The sounds of TYPING rise above all the rest as MAX sits at
his computer writing his essay. He stops to sigh. Looks at
what he's written. Reaches over to the mouse. Highlights it
all. And erases it.
AERIAL SHOT
Use only when necessary. This suggests a shot be taken from a plane or helicopter (not a
crane). For example, if a scene takes place on a tall building, you may want to have an
aerial shot of the floor the action takes place on.
ANGLE ON
A type of shot. This usually occurs in scenes taking place in large settings.

For example: if you're at a playground and little Billy is playing in the grass while his
sister Jenny is playing on the structure. To get from a detail shot of Billy playing to Jenny
playing you'd use "ANGLE ON STRUCTURE" to suggest a new shot featuring Jenny.
You're still in the same location, but the director knows to point the camera a different
direction.

Note: this is often implied by simple scene description. Use ANGLE ON with good
purpose.
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Beat
Many scripts will use the parenthetical (beat) to interrupt a line of dialogue. A "beat"
suggests the actor should pause a moment, in silence, before continuing the scene.
"Beats" are often interchangeable with ellipses "..."
b.g. (background)
Used to describe anything occuring in a rear plane of action (the background as opposed
to the main action or attention is focused in the foreground). Always use this term in
lower case initials or written in full ("background"). For example: two people talk as Bill
and Ted fight in the b.g.
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Character
In a screenplay, the name appears in all caps the first time a character is introduced in the
"Action." The character's name can then be written normally, in the action, the rest of the
script.
 For Example: The limo pulls up to the curb. DAISY, an elderly woman sits in the car as
MORGAN, the driver, steps out and opens the door for her. Daisy is dressed in evening-
wear, ready for an Opera. Character's names always appear in all CAPS when speaking.

For Example:

DAISY
You've been a darling, Morgan. Here's twenty dollars.
CLOSE ON
See also INSERT and Shot.

CLOSE ON is a shot description that strongly suggests a close-up on some object, action,
or person (an expressive body part such as the face, or a fist).

May also be seen as CLOSEUP / C.U. or CLOSE SHOT

CLOSER ANGLE
We move in for a new angle nearer to the subject. This is more of an editing term, but can
be mentioned in the screenplay when necessary.
CONTINUOUS
Sometimes, instead of DAY or NIGHT at the end of a SLUGLINE/Location Description,
you'll see CONTINUOUS.

Basically, continuous refers to action that moves from one location to another without
any interruptions in time. For example, in an action movie, the hero may run from the
airport terminal into a parking garage. The sequence may include cuts, but the audience
would perceive the action as a continuous sequence of events from the terminal to the
lobby to the street to the garage to the second floor to a car etc. CONTINUOUS is
generally optional in writing and can be dropped altogether.

For Example:

INT. AIRPORT LOBBY - DAY

JANET looks over her shoulder. The MEN IN BLACK are still
after her, toppling innocent passersby and sending luggage
flying across the linoleum floor. Janet faces forward again
and nearly runs smack into a nun. She apologizes and pushes
through the glass doors.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS

Janet stumbles to the curb, stopping short of the honking

traffic. As a bus flies by, blasting her with wind, she
steps out into traffic. A car SWERVES to avoid her! She
GASPS, looks back. The men in black are there.
 Here CONTINUOUS is used for the slugline (EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS) and
represents no time passing between changes in location.
CONTRAZOOM
The Hitchcock zoom, also known as the contra-zoom or the Vertigo effect is an
unsettling in-camera special effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception in
a way that is difficult to describe. This effect was used by Alfred Hitchcock in his film
Vertigo. It rarely appears in a screenplay.

In the Hitchcock zoom, the setting of a zoom lens is used to adjust the field of view at the
same time as the camera moves towards or away from the subject in such a way as to
keep the subject the same size in the frame throughout.

Thus, during the zoom, there is a continuous perspective distortion, the most directly
noticeable feature of which is that the background "changes size" relative to the subject.
As the human visual system uses both size and perspective cues to judge the relative sizes
of objects, seeing a perspective change without a size change is a highly unsettling effect,
and the emotional impact of this effect is much greater than the description above can
suggest.

The Hitchcock zoom is commonly used by film-makers to represent the sensation of

vertigo, or to suggest that undergoing a realization that causes them to reassess
everything they had previously believed. A notable use of this effect is in Jaws when
Chief Brody sees the mayhem in the water from the beach, or in Goodfellas, where
director Martin Scorsese uses the Hitchcock zoom in a scene during the climax of the
film: Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) are sitting in a
restaurant, talking. Henry realizes that Jimmy is setting him up and betraying their
lifelong friendship; as this happens, the perspective in the background changes in a slow,
gradual manner.
CRAWL
This is a term used for superimposed titles or text intended to move
across/up/down/diagonally on screen. For example, the text at the beginning of Star Wars
movies "Crawls" up into infinity. Or, the written words "(crawl)" in Unforgiven.
CROSSFADE:
This is like a "Fade to black then Fade to next scene." In other words, as one scene fades
out, a moment of black interrupts before the next scene fades in. It is not to be confused
with DISSOLVE, since CROSSFADE always involves a black or blank screen.
CUT TO:
The most simple and common transition. Since this transition is implied by a change of
scene, it may be used sparingly to help intensify character changes and emotional shifts.
The transition describes a change of scene over the course of one frame.
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Dialogue
Very simply, this is what people are supposed to say according to the script.
Director
The person who visualizes the movie based on the script, creates shots, suggests how the
actors should portray their characters, and helps to edit the final cut. Basically, the person
in charge of putting converting a script into a movie.
DISSOLVE TO:
A common transition. As one scene fades out, the next scene fades into place. This type
of transition is generally used to convey some passage of time and is very commonly
used in montages such as seen in Bugsy.
Dolly
A mechanism on which a camera can be moved around a scene or location. Simple
dollies involve a tripod on wheels. Dolly shots are moving shots.
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ESTABLISHING SHOT
A shot, usually from a distance, that shows us where we are. A shot that suggests
location. Often used at the beginning of a film to suggest where the story takes place. For
example, if our story takes place in New York, we might use a shot of the Manhattan
skyline as an establishing shot.
EXT.
Exterior. This scene takes place out of doors. This is mostly for producers to figure out
the probable cost of a film project.
EXTREMELY LONG SHOT (XLS):
Means the camera is placed a very long distance from the subject or action. Generally,
this term would be left out of a screenplay and left to the director to decide. Use only
when necessary.
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FADE TO: / FADE IN:
See also DISSOLVE TO:

This is commonly used as a DISSOLVE to a COLOR. Commonly, you'll see this as:

FADE TO:
BLACK

FADE IN:

NEXT SCENE

This usually suggests it's not the end of the movie, but it is the end of a major movement
in the film. The "Next Scene" is often days, months, or years after the previous scenes.
Sometimes titles will appear in the blackness to declare a passage of time. But this
transition is often a sign of a major shift in time or emotional status for the main
characters. It may also be used to suggest a character has been knocked out or killed.
 Fade In is also sometimes used at the start of a screenplay.
FAVOR ON
A particular character or action is highlighted or "favored" in a shot. The focus is
basically centered on someone or something in particular. Use only when necessary.
Feature Film
In the olden days of cinema, people watched a series of short films. Then, as films
became longer, they would watch some short films and one long film. The long film
became the main attraction, hence the term feature film. Today, feature films are
generally defined as any film at least one hour long that people pay to see.
FLASH CUT:
An extremely brief shot, sometimes as short as one frame, which is nearly subliminal in
effect. Also a series of short staccato shots that create a rhythmic effect.
FLASHBACK:
Sometimes used as a transition or at the start of slugline to denote a sequence that
happened in the past. This can be followed by BACK TO PRESENT DAY if required or
the writer can use PRESENT DAY as the time of day at the end of the proceeding
slugline instead of just DAY.
FREEZE FRAME:
The picture stops moving, becoming a still photograph, and holds for a period of time.
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INSERT
When a writer pictures a certain close-up at a certain moment in the film, he or she may
use an insert shot. This describes a shot of some important detail in a scene that must be
given the camera's full attention for a moment. Inserts are mainly used in reference to
objects, a clock, or actions, putting a key in a car's ignition.

For example: if there's a clock in the room. the writer might have reason for the audience
to get a good glimpse of the clock and as such would use an insert shot to suggest the
director get a closer shot of the clock at a particular point in the scene.

Note: often; writing important objects in CAPS will convey their importance in the scene
and give the director more freedom and a greater feeling of importance. Use inserts only
when truly important.
INT.
Interior. This scene takes place indoors. This is mostly for producers to figure out the
probable cost of a film project.
INTERCUT: / Intercutting
Some scripts may use the term INTERCUT: as a transition or INTERCUT BETWEEN.
At this point, two scenes will be shown a few moments each, back and forth. For
example, if Laura is stuck in her flaming house and the fire department in on the way, a
screenplay may call for intercutting between the flames closing in on Laura and the fire
 fighters riding across town to save her.

Note: this is a style that can be written around with standard scene breaks. It's more to
prepare the reader for the upcoming slug line bonanza.
INTO FRAME:
See also: INTO VIEW:

The audience can only see so much through the window of a movie screen. Use this term
to suggest something or someone comes into the picture while the camera stays put. It's
like a character or object coming from off stage in the theater. For example: Forrest
Gump sits on the bench. OLD WOMAN INTO FRAME. She sits next to him.
INTO VIEW:
See also: INTO FRAME:

The audience can only see so much through the window of a movie screen. Use this term
to suggest something or someone comes into the picture while the camera pulls back
(pans, etc) to reveal more of the scene.
Iris Out
See also WIPE TO:

Also written as: IRIS FADE OUT or IRIS FADE IN. Used at the end of Star Wars
scripts, this term refers to a wipe from the center of the frame out in all directions. It's as
if the iris of a human eye were opening for dimly lit situations to take us into the next
scene or the ending credits as is the case with Star Wars.
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JUMP CUT TO:
A transition which denotes a linkage of shots in a scene in which the appearance of real
continuous time has been interrupted by omission. Imagine setting a camera down to film
a person. You record him for five minutes. But as it turns out, you have only a one
minute time limit on your project. You have no special editing tools, just a couple of
VCRs. But you realize that most of the important stuff is said in a few short moments. If
you cut out the unimportant parts and edit together the parts you want based on a single
camera angle, you will have what are called jump cuts. Transitions from one moment to
the next within a scene that appear jarring because they break the direct flow of filmic
time and space. This transition is usually used to show a very brief ellipsis of time.

A good example of Jump Cuts can be seen in the movie Elizabeth when the queen
practices her speech. The jump cuts make us disoriented and nervous along with the
queen, giving us the tension and humor of the situation as if it were an out-take reel. Bad
examples of Jump Cuts would be in B-movies like Mothra where they don't have the
money to get scenes from various angles, so they cut from one important moment to the
next from the same angle.
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LAP DISSOLVE:
 See also DISSOLVE:

A transition between scenes that is achieved by fading out one shot while the next one
grows clearer.
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MATCH CUT TO:
A transition often used to compare two completely unrelated objects. It's film's version of
metaphor. This involves cutting from one object of certain color, shape, and/or
movement, to another object of similar color, shape, and/or movement. For example, a
circular saw to a child's merry-go-round.

A commonly studied example of match cutting comes from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The
classic cut comes towards the beginning of the film. After the apes have used a bone as a
weapon for gathering food, an ape throws the bone into the air. As it falls, we match cut
to a space ship carrying nuclear warheads. Both the bone and the ship are of similar shape
and color, and both happen to be moving towards the bottom of the screen. The cut
relates all of technology to the development of weaponry as it cuts out all of human
history.
MATCH DISSOLVE TO:
See also MATCH CUT TO: / DISSOLVE TO:

This contains similar qualities to the MATCH CUT. A match dissolve involves two
objects of similar color, shape, and/or movement in transition from one scene to the next.

For example: if Scene A is following (tracking) an arrow whizzing through the forest,
one might match dissolve to a tracking shot, in Scene B of a bullet whizzing through the
inner city.
Montage
From the French term "to assemble". In film, a series of images showing a theme, a
contradiction, or the passage of time. This film style became common in Russia in the
early years of cinema. Russians were the first to truly use editing to tell a story. Some
early examples of montage include City Symphony's and Man With a Movie Camera.
Modern day examples can be seen in Goodfellas and Bugsy.
MOS
Mit Out Sound (Original German) Moment of Silence (Made up English memory
device). Now hardly ever used.
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O.C. / O.S.
Off-Camera or Off-Screen. This is the abbreviation sometimes seen next to the
CHARACTER'S name before certain bits of dialogue. It means the writer specifically
wants the voice to come from somewhere unseen.
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Pan
See Also: Swish Pan

Camera movement involving the camera turning on a stationary axis. Imagine standing in
one spot on a cliff in Hawaii. You want to absorb the view so you, without moving your
body or feet, turn your head from the left to the right. This is the same effect as a pan.
Parenthetical
If an actor should deliver his or her lines in a particular way, a screenplay will contain a
description in parentheses to illustrate the point. Parentheticals should be used only in
cases where a line of dialogue should be read in some way contrary to logic. If used too
often, actor's and director's egos get hurt, and things get messy. It should not be used for
action decription.

For Example:
JULIE
(calmly)
I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.
POV
Point of View. The camera replaces the eyes (sometimes the ears) of a character,
monster, machine, surveillance camera, etc. As a result, we get to see the world through
the sensory devices of some creature. This can be used to bring out the personal aspects
of a scene, or it can be used to build horror and suspense. An example of horror and
suspense in POV can be scene in the opening shot of Halloween.
PULL BACK:
The camera physically moves away from a subject, usually through a zoom or dolly
action.
PULL FOCUS:
The camera focus changes from one object or subject to another.

For example:

PULL FOCUS TO INCLUDE POLICE CAR IN B/G.

PUSH IN:
The camera physically moves towards a subject.
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REVERSE ANGLE
Often used to reveal things for comic or dramatic effect. Could be described as a counter
POV shot. Basically, the script suggests the camera come around 180 degrees to get a
shot from the "other side" of a scene. For example, in the There's Something About Mary
script, Tucker is playing a joke on Mary in her office in one scene that the writers didn't
want to reveal right away. They use a REVERSE ANGLE to show that he's got two
tongue depressors in his upper lip to represent teeth. This reverse angle is used for comic
 effect.
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Scene
An event that takes place entirely in one location or time. If we go outside from inside,
it's a new scene. If we cut to five minutes later, it's a new scene. If both, it's a new scene.
Scenes can range from one shot to infinity and are distinguished by slug lines.
Shooting Script
This is the truly final draft used on set by the production people, actors, and director to
make the movie from the screenplay.
Shot
One image. If there's a cut, you've changed shots. Shots can range from split seconds to
several minutes. Shots are generally chosen by the director although the writer can use
capital letters to suggest where the camera should be. When a writer absolutely must have
a certain shot at a certain moment in a film, he has a few options each described in detail
elsewhere in this list: INSERT, ANGLE ON, and CLOSE ON.
Slug Line
The text in all CAPS at the beginning of a scene that briefly describes the location and
time of day.

For example:

INT. JIMMY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Note: sometimes sluglines are abbreviated to something as simple as "LATER" or

"BEDROOM" to maintain the pace and flow of a sequence.
SMASH CUT TO:
An especially sharp transition. This style of cut is usually used to convey destruction or
quick emotional changes. For example: If you were writing a horror movie but wanted to
lighten the gore at the beginning, you might have:

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

A YOUNG GIRL races away from her tormentor but then trips
and falls. The KILLER enters the forest clearing, taking a
moment to savor this death. The Girl shakes her head, as if
begging for the killer to change his mind. But no, he closes
in, a black cloaked arm raising the knife into the air. The
knife catches the moonlight for just a moment before it
races downwards.

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL COURTYARD - DAY

 It's a bright and beautiful morning and a bunch of kids
wander the courtyard on their way to class.

The sudden shift from a dark forest to a bright schoolyard on the first stab would convey
the distress of the murder without showing it.

Note: this transition is often a director's choice. As a writer, use this sparingly if at all.
Spec Script / Screenplay
If a writer finishes his/her own screenplay outside the studio system (it isn't an
assignment) then sends it to the studios for consideration, it is a spec script.
SPLIT SCREEN SHOT:
The space of the frame is split into two, three, or more frames each with their own
subject. Usually the events shown in each section of the split screen are simultaneous.
But Split screen can also be used to show flashbacks or other events. For example, two
people are talking on the phone. They're in different locations, but you wish to show the
reactions of both simultaneously. Split Screen is used prominently in 24 to show
simultaneous action and events unfolding.
Steadicam
A camera built to remain stable while being moved, usually by human hands.
Occasionally, seen in scripts to suggest a handheld shot be used in a scene, although a
steadicam is smoother than a regular handheld shot and as such produces a different
result.
STOCK SHOT:
Footage of events in history, from other films, etc. Basically, anything that's already
filmed and you intend to be edited into the movie. For example, the Austin Powers
movies use stock footage for comic effect. Some old B films use stock footage to keep
their budgets low.
SUPER:
Abbreviation for superimpose. The superimposition of one thing over another in the same
shot. Sometimes TITLES are superimposed over scenes. Or a face can be superimposed
over a stream-of-consciousness montage shot.
Swish Pan
A quick snap of the camera from one object to another that blurs the frame and is often
used as a transition. Sometimes called a FLASH PAN. Cuts are often hidden in swish
pans, or they can be used to disorient or shock the audience.
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TIGHT ON
A close-up of a person or thing used for dramatic effect. A tight frame encloses a subject
with very little space surrounding it. Not in common use. Use only when necessary.
TIME CUT
When you want to cut to later in a scene, you have the option of writing TIME CUT as
 the transition. For example, if two people walk into a restaurant and their conversation is
important at first then veers off into topics not important to your story, then you might
want to time cut from the drinks to the main course and then again to paying the check.
Tracking Shot (Track, Tracking, Travelling)
A tracking shot involves a camera following a person or an object. As long as the camera
isn't locked down in place by a tripod, for example, and is following (tracking) a subject,
then it's a tracking shot. For good examples of tracking shots, watch the one take episode
of The X-Files, any episode of ER or the first shots of Touch of Evil and The Player.
Trailer
In the olden days of cinema, the advertisements for upcoming attractions were usually
played after the end of the movie. Hence, they became known as trailers. But, as credits
reels have grown in size over the years, audiences would often leave before watching
these advertisements and "trailers" became "previews." But the name is still in common
use. A trailer is a theatrical advertisement for an upcoming film attraction.
Transition
These describe the style in which one scene becomes the next. Used appropriately, these
can be used to convey shifts in character development and emotion. In other words, a
CUT TO: is not required at every scene change. Some major transitions include CUT
TO:, DISSOLVE TO:, MATCH CUT TO:, JUMP CUT TO:, SMASH CUT TO:, WIPE
TO:, and FADE TO:. Occasionally a writer will make up his own transition. In these
cases, the transition is usually self-defined (such as BRIGHT WHITE FLASH TO:
suggests whiteness will fill the screen for a brief moment as we pass into the next scene).
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V.O.
Voice Over. This abbreviation often appears beside a CHARACTER'S name before their
dialogue. This means the character voices that dialogue but his or her moving lips are not
present in the scene. Voice-over is generally used for narration, such as in the beginning
of The Mummy. Or a character's inner thoughts said out loud such that only the audience
will hear.
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WIPE TO:
A transition in which one scene "wipes away" for the next. Imagine Scene A is water and
Scene B is the substance underneath. A wipe would look like a squeegee pulling Scene A
off of Scene B. These usually suggest a passage of time from one scene to the next. The
most common and obvious example of wipes is in the Star Wars franchise.
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ZOOM:
The image seems to close in on a person or object making the person or object appear
larger (or smaller) on screen. Technically, the lens mechanically changes from wide angle
to telephoto or vice versa. Notice and recognize the difference between a zoom and a
push in (camera moves closer to subject). Use zoom only when necessary.
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